Canberra Sprawl

Australia is on the pointy end of global warming. Many Australian cities are experiencing long spells of exceptionally hot weather, diasterous bush fires have been raging and fresh water is in short supply, with many dams and reservoirs at historically low levels. In a continent that is already very dry the long term direction of the weather is alarming.

Given the potential impact on Australia of global warming, it is particularly depressing to read that Canberra has decided to continue sprawling out and build some 15 more suburbs. Although I don't agree, the reasoning behind the development is not hard to understand. House prices in Canberra are ridiculously high and there is ample land on which to build new houses relatively cheaply. Moreover, there is probably extremely strong demand for more housing stock, and most likely strong demand for the typical Australian home: the three bedroom, wood framed, brick veneer bungalow in the suburbs.

I understand why these new suburbs are being built. Nonetheless, I find the fact that Canberra has simply decided to follow existing practice and build hundreds or thousands of new, single family homes to be depressing. Every new house built will require one or two cars to move the inhabitants from home to work and back again. The folks living there will have to drive to their local supermarket, drive to schools near and far to drop off and pick up their children, and drive to the doctor and dentist. Every house will have its own relatively inefficient heating and air conditioning system that will ultimately come at the cost of burning coal for power.

Are there no other models that Canberra could adopt? The Dutch and Germans seem to be able to organize compact, high-density cities and towns where a very large percentage of the population can, and do, commute by bike and public transport. I live in Germany, don't own a car, ride a bicycle to drop off my children at daycare and walk to pick up my groceries. It is actually very pleasant, although I do miss driving and enjoy the odd times that I get to rent a car. Moreover, the measures that Germany is implementing to reduce CO2 emissions are quite impressive, ranging from substantial fuel taxes and energy taxes through to aggressive implementation of wind power across the country.

So what is going on in Australia? Australia is certainly rich enough to effect change and is already feeling the affects of global warming. If nothing else, I would have thought the fact that one of Australia's leading exports is coal, invariably destined to be burnt in Chinese power plants, would have induced a certain amount of chagrin and concern for doing the right thing as far as possible domestically. So, do Australians think that the Canberra development model is just fine? The Australian dream of a separate house, backyard and multiple cars certainly seems alive and well. The problem however, is that even if every inhabitant of these new suburbs eats organically, grows their own vegetables, cycles to work once or twice a week, carpools or uses park and drive stations, Australia is not going to reduce the amount of CO2 emitted per person.

That Canberra is continuing to follow the standard Australian model of development in late 2009, over a decade after Kyoto, is utterly depressing. It strikes me as an almost wilful failure to acknowledge reality and a profound failure of imagination and will. Can Canberrans only conceive of brand new suburbs as the way to house a growing population? Is this how Australia is going to rise to the challenge of global warming? I would have liked to have thought of Canberra, and Australia generally, as a place of innovation, of being concerned with the challenges of the 21st Century and having the guts to deal with them. But I guess I was mistaken about the Australian character: "she'll be right" seems to have considerable precedence over honesty and guts, even if it is going to hurt our own grandchildren.

Afghanistan

So there is a debate in the US and Europe right now about Afghanistan, and what policy NATO and the UN should pursue. In the US I get the feeling that the debate is somewhat more acute for a number of factors that are interesting in themselves. In any case, much of the debate seems to swirl around whether more US or European forces should be sent into Afghanistan, in the hope that more security can be provided for the civilian population and that the recent Taliban gains can be reversed.

On the other side of the argument are various parties, including some American Republicans and Democrats, along with a fair proportion of the US and European public who are arguing that after eight years enough is enough, and it is time to withdraw.

I feel really torn on this debate, as both sides have strong arguments. Obviously, this is a case of choosing the least bad option, but even viewed from that angle I still can't get my head around a good way to evaluate the choices. Given the size and remoteness of Afghanistan, the forbidding terrain, language and religious barriers, lack of unifying institutions, lack of rule of law, corruption, drug-based economy and a host of other factors, keeping NATO forces in the country seems utterly ludicrous.

Yet, if the NATO forces withdraw, it seems reasonable to believe that the Taleban are highly likely to resume control over the country by force. The obvious worst case, which is by no means a remote possibility, is that a Taliban victory in Afghanistan could potentially destablize Pakistan right next door, and that is a potential nightmare scenario.

I tend to think that keeping such a large troop presence in Afghanistan will have to end at some point, and given that the situation on the ground is not improving, we may as well withdraw sooner than later. But, as I said, I would hate to have to make this particular agonizing call. For what I believe it ultimately means is that we will be consigning the country to the Taliban, which is not a pleasant thought.

But what really gets my goat is when really well informed commentators, including people like Glenn Greenwald, ignore the likely outcome of the withdrawal of NATO forces. I find it highly doubtful that the Afghan people or their leadership will come together and "work it out" as he said in a recent interview on MSNBC. I can see a great many strong reasons to withdraw our troops, but we should at least honestly acknowledge what the likely outcome and cost of that withdrawal will be.

Ambition

One of the good sides of getting older is that you sometimes come to learn things about yourself that were always kind of there, hidden away in the background, but that never quite made it into conscious thought.

One of the things that I am learning is that I am just not that ambitious, at least not as defined by the usual meaning of the word. Although nice worldly goods are pleasant, and I certainly wouldn't be happy living in a complete dump, I just don't desire a huge mansion, shiny new car or high-profile job. Cars depreciate, big houses aren't necessarily filled with joy and a high-profile job would likely be high-stress and extremely busy, all of which just leaves me feeling cold.

I like having time with my family, time to myself to think and wonder, and time to spend with friends. I wish I had more time to write silly blog entries and sit in churches and wonder at history. I only get one chance to live my life, and I don't want to turn sixty or seventy and realize that I spent most of my adult life in an office, chasing promotions or more money, to the detriment of my family and my life.

Apart from my fascination with technology, I guess this is one reason why I like software as an area in which to work. It allows you to specialize, be competent and committed to good work, to work hard yet still able to go home in the evening to relax, while nonetheless earning reasonably good money.

The things for which I now do harbor ambition are much more intangible. I really want my children to have as many opportunities as possible. I want to be surrounded by family and friends and community. I want to listen to music, think and be intellectually engaged. I want to be able to contribute in a direct and meaningful way to society and the community.

In many ways, this is simply what I have always wanted and who I have always been. It has just taken me a while to realize just how important it is for me. And for a very social person who nonetheless finds it hard to make friends, I've never really had enough of a social network for my taste, despite having made many great friends over the years.

Caeden

This is an old photo of Caeden, but it is also one of my favorites. It really captures his blue eyes, and the blue in the photo makes them even more striking. I also love his crazy hair, which captures how he often looks pretty well.

I find it totally crazy that he is coming up to his second birthday. It seems like he was a baby just the other day. And even though I am glad that he is getting older, and stronger and more independent, it is also bittersweet. It is kind of fun having a little baby, and I very much doubt that we'll be having another one.

IQ

I really like this opinion piece from Kristof in the Times. That a child's IQ is highly dependent on the environment in which they are raised makes a great deal of sense to me. Frankly though, it is sad that this article still needs to be published, as though this is not bloody obvious. It is also serves as reminder as to how difficult it will be to help to children in disadvantaged situations, as well as how critical this is.

And now that I get to closely watch and observe my own children growing up, the malleability of IQ really makes intuitive sense to me. Brienna and I basically surround Aralyn and Caeden will stimulating and enriching experiences, loads of love, praise and encouragement, and with as few limits as possible. Our children don't get parked in front of a TV, instead they get their mum and dad questioning and talking with them, reading books and twisting their tongues into knots with strange and long words. And that's when they aren't in day care having to learn a whole different language or out at the zoo looking at the elephants.

So regardless of how smart, or not, Aralyn and Caeden end up, they will at least have been given every opportunity to grown and learn. But not every kid gets the same environment, nor two loving parents, nor the same stability that allows our kids to relax, be happy and just have fun exploring and playing in their little world.

To a large extent, if children grow up in difficult circumstances there is no way the state can make for up this deficit. You simply cannot have a school make up for the years of enriching experiences that you get in families when they work well. Up to this point I think that conservatives, with their theoretical focus on families, have a point.

But articles like Kristof's point out a challenge for the US. For many children in impoverished inner cities or rural areas, not only are their families failing them, but society is as well. It is now clear that intensive, dedicated, early education programs and high quality education can make a huge difference in children's lives. Unfortunately however, in practice, children in these situations often end up in extremely poor performing schools. Obama wrote about much of this in his books and it would be wonderful if, despite all the current crises, at least some progress gets made in this area.

Kid Art

I am sure that all parent have much the same thoughts when their children bring their latest artistic creations home, beaming with pride. "Look what I did today daddy!". The first thoughts that flash through your head are usually curiosity about the item itself coupled with satisfaction that your kid is proud of their work and obviously had a fun day.

But these thoughts are fairly quickly followed by a kind of groan, and a sadness, over what to do with this latest item. Usually it joins the heap in their portfolio, really a box in a corner of their room, or gets hung up somewhere. But how long do you keep this stuff? Do you take it with you when you move? That seems kind of crazy, but it also seems kind of heartless to just through it out.

So, why not share it on the web, so that everyone can get the same joy? Or perhaps more accurately, Aralyn and Caeden's grandparents can admire the handiwork of their grandchildren, and everyone can just move on to the next post. Of course, it also means that Aralyn and Caeden, if they ever wanted to, could go and look back and what they did years later.

So, in this spirit, here are some pieces by Aralyn. Caeden isn't producing too much right now, but I'll post his creations as well. Enjoy!



The item below is a beluga whale swimming around. Aralyn seems to have fallen in love with belugas ever since we actually saw one at the gorgeous Chicago Aquarium.



And lastly, here is a maze that Aralyn developed herself, and then got Brienna to solve. She's moved from solving mazes to making them for others:

Easter

Well, we finally got a vacation worth its name, and it was just gorgeous. The clouds rolled away, the sun came out, and while the water remained a chilly 5 degrees, warm air gently blew in.

Given that in Europe you automatically get a four day weekend over Easter, we rented a car and took off to explore the local beaches and countryside. We spent two days in Prerow, one in Ahrenshoop and another day in Nienhagen. The photo above is of the coast near Nienhagen. All three spots were really lovely, with pristine beaches nestled behind forests, and old fashioned thatched roofed houses in abundance.

Given that Caeden is two and is somewhat high maintenance, our days fell into a pattern pretty quickly. We got up, drove to our destination, wandered around for a little bit and found a nice restaurant, and when Caeden fell asleep, ate a gloriously relaxing lunch. Aralyn often drew or read books, while Brienna and I took turns reading. For us, or maybe myself in particular, there is almost nothing better than the combination of interesting reading material (in my case LRBs courtesy of a good friend), beer or wine, good food, and an hour or two of relatively undisturbed free time. I get positively dreamy just thinking about it.

After lunch we headed for the beach, and splashed, paddled, explored and sun bathed. Aralyn finally got rid of the circles under her eyes and almost immediately started turning brown. Caeden's fair skin mostly managed to avoid getting burnt and both children had a blast. Who wouldn't, with a whole beach to explore, sand to dig and adventures to have?

The Lines a German Won't Cross

This is a fun little article in the New York Times Magazine by Nicolas Kulish about the power of rules and conformity in Germany. The main thrust of the article is that Germany is generally very well run, and that Germans tend to deeply internalize and live their lives according to the law. If there was ever a society that best exemplified the rule of law, it would have to be Germany.

I like the central example Kulish used of the swimming pool, with a line demarcating the shoe and no shoe areas. That this line was treated with respect, despite any mechanism for enforcement, seemed to Kulish to exemplify how Germans approached rules and laws. This example also brings back my own similar, and happy, memories of swimming in Ribnitz-Damgarten, a beautiful pool just a bit outside of Rostock.

I have somewhat conflicted thoughts about this whole thing. Perhaps I just think too much, but literally every time I come to a dratted street crossing, I come face to face with this phenomenon. You will likely have a cluster of Germans patiently waiting for the light to change, and do I step into line and follow their lead, or do I follow my own instincts and just cross?

It seems to me that unthinkingly following all rules has some rather obvious downsides. But these particular rules just cover street crossings, are designed for safety, and are not particularly objectionable. They probably even save lives. Nonetheless, my usual pattern of behavior is to make sure it is safe to cross, then make sure there are no police around, and finally, follow my gut instinct and just cross the damn street.

Why do I have such a hard time following these basic German road rules? I am fully aware that I am a visitor and that this is not my country, and that I really ought to follow the German way of doing things. But given my Australian and American background, and a certain irreverence for authority, I just can't look at any empty street and wait patiently. It is not in my genes.

Ice Bridge Ruptures in Antarctic

Another article, this time by the BBC, reporting more bad news on the global warming front. Sebastian pointed this one out, so I figured I write a little about it too. Apparently the collapse is not good news as it is both an example of the rapid changes in the Antarctic as well as possibly making it easier for the glaciers and other ice flows now on land to move into the sea, possibly affecting sea levels.

Following from that thought, and regarding sea levels, it is paragraph near the end that really gets me:

Such acceleration effects were not included by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) when it made its latest projections on likely future sea level rise. Its 2007 assessment said ice dynamics were poorly understood.

I must admit that I hate reading things like this. It is just scary when, as often happens, you read about a previous worst case output or warming scenario, followed by the statement that actual CO2 output or whatever was dramatically greater again.

East Germans Face Their Accusers

This old article, "East Germans Face Their Accusers", about former East Germans dealing with the communist legacy is still very good reading. Depressingly, the evil that people can do to one another appears to have a deep well spring of creativity.